This invention relates generally to selective storage of items in a portable pack and, more particularly, but not as a limitation, to storage of apparatus for use in emergency medical procedures.
A carrying case is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,782 in which partitioning members are used for generating compartments of various sizes and shapes in the base portion of the case. While such an arrangement permits reposition of the partitioning members to establish space sizes to fit a variety of items, it does not permit the prepackaging, quick release and attachment, nor does it include storage in the lid as taught by the instant invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,398 an aid in the management of medical procedures is disclosed in which the base of a briefcase is set up as a tray-like receptacle with recesses containing a drug or instrument or other article in each recess. Selection of the drug(s) or instrument(s) is accomplished by placing the appropriate one of a plurality of masks over the tray-like receptacle. Each mask has openings over only those instruments and/or drugs to be used in the selected procedure. Further, the masks include a summary of the medical procedure steps. Disadvantages of such a tray and mask arrangement include the limitation of the materials that may be stored, the problems of mask alignment as well as the possibility that the wrong mask may be selected.
An emergency medical kit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,550. This kit consists essentially of a back pack which has been especially arranged to carry emergency medical equipment. However, such a kit does not permit the rapid selection and replacement of items, nor does it provide the ease of accessibility which is necessary in emergencies and which is possible by use of the pack described herein.